SAN LORENZO STUDY MODEL

San Lorenzo Study Model

Composing a new facade for San Lorenzo

The church of San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy was designed in the 1420′s by Filippo Brunelleschi, who died before the work was completed. In 1517, Pope Leo X commissioned Michelangelo to design a facade for the church. Michelangelo worked on the design until 1520, when the Pope lost interest in the project. Many of the masters of architecture proposed designs to complete the facade of San Lorenzo during their lifetimes. Nearly five centuries later, the facade remains unfinished.

As part of an introductory studio, the task was to complete the unfinished facade. Although the studio provided the opportunity to design something completely new, the concept of bringing an original design of one of the masters to life presented a more enticing learning experience. This model is the final product of an analysis of Manfredo Tafuri’s reconstruction of Raphael’s proposed design. The model is based on Uffizi drawing UA 2048.

This model was featured in the scholarly journal The Classicist, no. 9 edited by Dr. Richard John, a professor of history and theory of architecture and urbanism at the University of Miami.